One piece bushing and mounting plate for



March 10; I964 e. MEYER 24,

om: PIECE susamc AND MOUNTING PLATE FOR EMBEDMENT IN SOFT MATERIALS Filed Jan. 31, 1962 FIG. 1. FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

GERSON MEYER ATTO R N EY United States Patent Ofiice 3,124,393 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 3,124,393 ONE PIECE BUSHING AND MOUNTING PLATE FOR EMBEDMENT IN SOFT MATERIALS Gerson Meyer, 1620 Union Ave., Baltimore, Md. Filed Jan. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 170,142 Claims. (01. 30s -22 This invention relates to bushings and it is more particularly concerned with the provision of a combined bushing and mounting plate that can be incorporated in a soft bulky material such as foamed polystyrene, that a may comprise a wall structure or other supporting member and firmly retained therein for use in mounting a rotating element.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device of the type mentioned which can be firmly set in place and securely retained in such a soft mass of material and which can be provided relatively inexpensive.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a device which provides a rotating bearing surface for both a shaft member as well as an adjacent member pivotally carried by the shaft member.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is an end view.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a container in which an embodiment of the invention is utilized to mount the handle member thereon as an example of one of the uses to which the invention is adapted.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1 on a larger scale.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an inner end elevational view of the embodiment apart from the wall of the container.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an outer end elevational View of the embodiment.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing in which like numerals designate like parts, the embodiment is illustrated by way of example in connection with a thermal insulated container 11, the walls of which are thick and bulky such as of foamed polystyrene. Material of this kind presents a special problem in providing a bearing support for rotating parts such as is necessary 7 in hingedly mounting the handle 12 of the container.

Conventional bearings and bushings are difficult to insert in materials of this kind because they tend to work loose due to the ease with which the materials can be compressed.

In accordance with the present invention the device comprises a one-piece member on one side of which there is a disc 13. Integral with this disc and extending outwardly from one side thereof is a hollow shank 14 the outer surface of which is fluted to provide a small group of radially extending fins 15 widely spaced circumferentially. These fins are radially enlarged adjacent the disc 13 to provide reinforcing extensions 16 between the disc 13 and the shank 14 substantially as shown.

The bore 17 of the shank 14 extends through the disc 13 for the reception of a rivet 18.

The device is embedded in the wall, preferably by molding the wall material around it in the mold (not shown) used to form the container, with the disc member 13 on the inside and the opposite end on the outside of the container.

The rivet 18 pivotally engages the arm 19 of the handle 12 and washers 20 and 21 straddle the arm 19 between the rivet head 22 and the outer ends of the fins 15 substantially as shown. The rivet 18 is rotatably mounted in the bore 17 of the shank as shown and the inner tail end 23 flared, substantially as shown.

The device is preferably fabricated of nylon or a plastic material of comparable physical properties, including non-corrosiveness and resistance to the molding temperatures used to form the containers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising the combination of a wall member of a soft, thick, bulky material, a member hingedly attached to the wall, said member comprising a shaft transversely disposed in the wall member, and a one-piece bushing in said wall receiving said shaft, said bushing comprising a disc section, a hollow shank section abutting and directly integral with the disc section, said shank section extending from the disc to the opposite face of the wall, a group of fins widely spaced circumferentially, integral with the shank section and extending radially therefrom embedded into the mass of the wall material adjacent the shank, said fins having portions at the inner end of the shank adjacent to and integral with the disc section.

2. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 in which the fins consist of a group of substantially four Wing-like radial extensions equally spaced circumferentially relative to each other about the shank.

3. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 in which the fins are stepped to provide relatively narrow portions at the outer end of the shank.

4. The combination of a soft bulky material having an aperture therein, a rotatable member carried by the bulky material and being disposed in said aperture, and a one-piece bushing and mounting plate between said rotatable member and bulky material, said bushing and mounting plate comprising a disc section, a hollow shank section integral with the disc section and extending outwardly from the center of a face of the disc section, said shank section being disposed in the aperture and having a small group of longitudinal fins widely spaced circumferentially extending outwardly therefrom, said fins intersecting and being integrally connected to the disc section and being embedded in the soft bulky material adjacent said aperture, and said fins having wide portions at the inner end of the shank adjacent to and integral with the disc section.

5. A one piece bushing and mounting plate according to claim 4 in which the fins are stepped substantially midway between its ends to provide relatively narrow portions at the outer end of the shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,497,224 Laure Feb. 14, 1950 2,870,959 Giddings Jan. 27, 1959 2,970,869 Thomas Feb. 7, 1961 2,989,354 Merriman June 20, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,147,702 France June 11, 1957 

1. AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A WALL MEMBER OF A SOFT, THICK, BULKY MATERIAL, A MEMBER HINGEDLY ATTACHED TO THE WALL, SAID MEMBER COMPRISING A SHAFT TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED IN THE WALL MEMBER, AND A ONE-PIECE BUSHING IN SAID WALL RECEIVING SAID SHAFT, SAID BUSHING COMPRISING A DISC SECTION, A HOLLOW SHANK SECTION ABUTTING AND DIRECTLY INTERAL WITH THE DISC SECTION, SAID SHANK SECTION EXTENDING FROM THE DISC TO THE OPPOSITE FACE OF THE WALL, A GROUP OF FINS WIDELY SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY, INTEGRAL WITH THE SHANK SECTION 